Landscapers can't afford to lose prospects because of a poor sales presentation. Ramp up your sales game with these insider tips on how to prep for and what to include in your presentation to improve your landscaping sales pitch and boost that close rate.
Prep like a pro.
Nothing feels worse than showing up to a prospect’s home or office and discovering—to your horror—that you forgot something major. Create a process or checklist you can refer to before every landscaping pitch. A few things to include in your checklist:
- Make sure the presentation addresses the pain points prospects expressed in your initial conversation. For example, if they’re worried about the project leaving a mess or damaging their property, you might show a brief video demonstrating how you plan to address debris management, such as using a drivable Equipter RB3000 trailer to easily move heavy materials.
- Review and check your landscaping sales presentation. When you’re working hard on the presentation, it can be tough to step back and identify parts that don’t make sense. Get a second set of eyes to scan over each sales pitch document and slideshow. And always, always run spell check to catch errors that can make you appear unprofessional.
- Have all paper materials ready. From written proposals to sell sheets to business cards, prep and count materials for review, education, or signature. It’s always wise to know who’s attending the presentation so you’ll have enough brochures, etc.
Use 3D modeling for presentations when possible.
When a person isn’t familiar with looking at renderings on paper, it can be frustrating for them to understand the lines and markings—and that can make it harder for them to sign on your dotted line.
Using 3D technology, like SketchUp, helps homeowners and property managers better visualize your plans for their landscaping project. It can also help them understand how different landscaping options will look as seasons change or how the property will look when plants have matured. The more uncertainty you take out of the process, the more likely landscaping prospects will be to say “yes.”
Another way to utilize 3D software is to share it remotely with the prospect via web conferencing websites. These sites make it possible to share your screen as you review landscape plans with a prospect—even if they’re on vacation in South America.
Plan to give a seamless landscaping presentation outdoors.
Between sunlight and wind, showing landscape plans while walking a prospective client through the outdoor area in question can be tricky. Some landscapers who work with paper plans tend to clip them to foam or poster board so the design plans are easily visible without the hassle of fumbling with rolled sheets, asking the client to hold the ends.
Know how you’ll handle technology outdoors as well. Sunlight can make it hard to see smartphone or tablet screens. Products like anti-glare screen covers can help. Some devices also allow you to adjust accessibility settings that can reverse text colors (i.e. show white text on a black screen) to increase visibility. If you’re giving the landscaping sales pitch on a bright sunny day on a property with no source of shade, you may have to go old-school and provide shade for your screen with an umbrella.
A professional, easy-to-understand landscaping sales pitch that incorporates these handy tips will leave a lasting impression for your landscape company. Kick up your game with additional sales presentation tips and be sure to follow Equipter on Facebook to get in on the conversation.